VCU Health Administration honored four alumni whose careers — both early careerists and seasoned vets — have been defined by impact, service and a commitment to the profession.

Alumni received their honors at the 2026 Paul A. Gross Landmarks in Leadership Lecture on April 16.

Ryan LaMura, MHA ’21, Young Alumnus Award

LaMura, chief operating officer at HCA Florida Capital Hospital, was recognized as a rising leader whose career reflects both ambition and humility. Alan Keesee, FACHE, MHA ’09, the chief executive of the Tallahassee, Florida, hospital who hired LaMura, said his willingness to seek guidance early on helped shape his trajectory.

“He’s humble. He sought wisdom,” said Keesee, honored in 2022 as VCU Health Administration Alumnus of the Year. After his third-year administrative residency at HCA, LaMura was hired and quickly advanced into leadership, eventually stepping into a chief operating officer role. Keesee noted that he “trained and grinded” LaMura for his first 2.5 years at HCA. “He was faithful and loyal and so committed to walk through [those years], even through the valley,” Keesee said, and noted that LaMura has already shown a willingness to give back and support early-careerists and students.

LaMura’s remarks focused less on titles and more on relationships that have led to his early success.

“It is these same classmates and professors that I lean on today,” he said, “and for which I am forever grateful.”

He pointed to the strength of the VCU Health Administration network as a defining part of his success. “That willingness to support one another has made a real difference in my career,” he said.

Chris Accashian, FACHE, MHA ’01, Outstanding Alumnus Award

Chris Accashian’s career was defined in two words repeated throughout his introduction: uncommon excellence.

A longtime health care executive and current system chief operating officer for Bon Secours Richmond, Accashian was described as a leader who blends vision with humility and consistency.

“He listens intensely, observes keenly, thinks globally and only then does he speak,” said attorney Brent Rawlings, MHA ’04, FACHE.

Rawlings shared reflections from Accashian’s colleagues, who highlighted his ability to develop others and keep teams grounded in purpose. One noted that Accashian regularly begins meetings by reminding teams why their work matters.

“He recognizes that this is not just a job — it’s a calling,” Rawlings said.

In his remarks, Accashian focused on gratitude, sharing the individuals who shaped his path and encouraging others to do the same.

“None of us have gotten to this position in life professionally without the support of a lot of people along the way,” he said.

His message was simple: recognize those influences and “give them a virtual high five or just call them up and say thank you.”

Ron Johnson, FACHE, MHA ’94, Lifetime Service Award

Ron Johnson’s introduction painted the picture of a career built on leadership, mentorship and integrity.

As executive director of the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, Johnson has led significant improvements in quality, culture and performance — including elevating the system from a two-star Medicare rating to a five-star rating.

“He galvanized the team to say, ‘Hey, this isn’t us,’ and strove for us to do better,” said Stephen Mosher, who holds an M.S. in health administration from VCU and serves alongside Johnson at the VA. 

In his remarks, Johnson shared a series of personal stories, each tied to a principle that guided his leadership. He told a story from his teenage years working at his father’s hardware store, which had been damaged by a fire. Left alone to run the shop during a liquidation sale, he struck a deal with a customer to buy damaged goods. But as the customer went to get his truck, Johnson second-guessed himself and pulled some items back, worried he had made a bad deal. When the customer returned and noticed items missing, Johnson was forced to confront both the buyer — and his father.

That moment led to a defining lesson: his father told him the community depended on integrity — and that Johnson had to operate the same way.

“My name means everything in this town,” he recalled his father telling him.

He also emphasized perseverance and long-term thinking, noting that strategic setbacks can lead to greater opportunities. “Sometimes you’re going to take a loss,” he said. “If you take some strategic losses along the way, you will have longer-term gains.”

Johnson closed with a reminder that leadership must be balanced with personal priorities: “Never forget the most important thing, and that’s your family.”

Thomas T.H. Wan, Ph.D., Honorary Alumnus Award

Thomas T.H. Wan, Ph.D., was recognized for a career that helped shape not just a department, but an entire field.

Wan served on the VCU Health Administration faculty from 1981 to 2003 and as chair from 1990 to 1999. He played a central role in building VCU’s national and international reputation in health administration education and research. His contributions include founding the department’s Ph.D. program and mentoring more than 100 doctoral students. In 2025, Wan established a scholarship for incoming students in the department’s Ph.D. in Health Services Organization and Research (HSOR) program, which he helped launch in 1982.

“He alone has directly shaped an entire generation of scholars,” said incoming Health Administration chair Laura McClelland, Ph.D.

In his remarks, Wan reflected on the department’s legacy and future, emphasizing that its strength lies in its people.

“What began as a vision … has grown into something far more meaningful than a school or a department,” he said. “It is a community of people committed to improving health care, not just in theory, but in practice where it matters most.”

“Health administration is not always simple … but underneath all that complexity is something very simple, very powerful: people are helping people. That is what brought us here, and that is what keeps us going.”

He challenged faculty, students and alumni to continue building on that foundation, pointing to the opportunity ahead. “Everything needed to ‘make it real’ is already here.”